THE MODERN FARM 



ucts are available as poultry feed, this branch of farm- 

 ing proves especially profitable. 



On account of the ready access by rail to the New 

 York markets, the shipping of milk early became an 

 important branch of farming. A New York milk com- 

 pany established shipping stations along the Housatonic 

 Railway as early as 1870, and since then this county has 

 been an important source of supply for that city. The 

 milk shipping industry and the cooperative creamery 

 proved a great boon to the farmers of Litchfield 

 County, as well as to the rest of New England. It re- 

 moved from the household the laborious task of caring 

 for the milk and of manufacturing it into butter 

 or cheese. No more important improvement has come 

 to our farm life than this, for with the manufacture of 

 the dairy products added to the ordinary duties of the 

 household, the engrossing labor and cares of our early 

 farm mothers were certainly burdensome. It is within 

 the memory of some of the older mothers, too, that all 

 of the cooking had to be done in the open fireplace and 

 all of the baking in the big oven, which had to have its 

 walls thoroughly heated by burning hardwood in It, 

 after which it must be cleaned out preparatory to bak- 

 ing the pies and cakes. 



To-day many farm homes are as well equipped as the 

 city flat. Not a few farm houses have hot and cold 

 water throughout, while furnace or steam heat and a 



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